What did Peter Schwartz do? Capitol rioter gets longest prison term in Jan 6 attack

49-year-old man Pennsylvania man Peter Schwartz, has been sentenced to over 14 years in prison for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. Schwartz was found guilty in December 2022 on 10 charges, including four felony charges for assaulting and resisting or impeding officers using a dangerous weapon, CNN reported.

On the day of the riot, Schwartz and his then-wife, Shelly Stallings, armed themselves with various items, including a wooden tire knocker and a police-issued "super soaker" canister of pepper spray. Stallings pleaded guilty to charges related to the riot last year and was sentenced to two years.

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Peter Schwartz used pepper spray on officers and threw a chair at them

Peter Schwartz threw a folding chair at officers, which enabled rioters to flood forward and take over the entire terrace. He also sprayed pepper spray at retreating officers and coordinated with two other rioters to spray an orange liquid at officers clashing with the mob, AP reported.

Schwartz's sentencing is the longest of any January 6 defendant so far. His prior criminal history, which includes 38 felony convictions dating back to 1991, played a significant role in his sentence, as per WRAL.

Prosecutors recommended that Schwartz be sentenced to 24 years and six months. However, as per the Guardian, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced him to 14 years and two months in jail, followed by three years of supervised release.

During the hearing, former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell gave a victim impact statement where he expressed that individuals with a criminal history like Peter Schwartz should be deterred from committing further violent crimes. Gonell also stated that assaulting law enforcement officers was the last thing Schwartz needed to add to his criminal record.

The judge also stated that Peter Schwartz was a "soldier against democracy" who participated in "the kind of mayhem, chaos that had never been seen in the country’s history."

Judge Mehta also remarked:

"Mr. Schwartz, dare I say, there are not many people who have come to this court with a criminal history like yours."

Schwartz's attorneys requested a 4.5-year sentence and claimed that his actions during the riot were motivated by a "misunderstanding" about the 2020 election. However, prosecutors pointed out that Schwartz showed no remorse about his actions, bragged about his participation in the Capitol attack, and claimed his prosecution was politically motivated.

Peter Schwartz was tried with co-defendants Jeffrey Brown and Markus Maly. In December, a jury convicted the trio of assault charges and other felony offenses. The Courthouse News Service stated that Mehta sentenced Brown to four years and six months in prison last Friday and Maly is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9.

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Schwartz referred to the Capitol attack as the "opening of war"

Peter Schwartz referred to the Capitol attack as the "opening of a war" in a social media post a day after the riot. He had even raised over $71,000 from an online campaign entitled "Patriot Pete Political Prisoner in DC," the Post reported.

However, prosecutors recommended that the judge impose a fine on Schwartz that would match the amount of money he raised from the online campaign.

When Peter Schwartz was arrested, authorities discovered that he had a firearm at his residence in Pennsylvania, which violated the terms of his probation as he had two prior convictions for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.

The riot took place after Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 elections as a number of Trump supporters came together and refused to accept the former as the new president of the country.

Over 100 officers were injured in the riot and about 1,000 individuals have been charged with federal crimes related to the same. Nearly 500 of the rioters have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment.